John Callahan was a cartoonist, musician, artist, author and quadriplegic blessed with a vivid mind and a piercing sense of humor.

Raised in Oregon, he suffered a body-boggling auto accident at the age of 21, and spent the last half of his life in Northwest Portland. Prolific, his cartoons appeared in more than 200 publications.

The John Callahan Memorial Garden is located between Saint Marks Parish, Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center and NW Marshall Street in Northwest Portland.  

The Memorial is a different take on a healing garden; using texture, form, color and above all humor to connect and heal. The garden is located one block from Legacy’s Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon, where John spent many hours speaking with patients about the challenges they were facing. Legacy uses the Memorial as a teaching tool for those who are newly physically challenged.